The acquisition of the new F-15EX Eagle II by the U.S. Air Force from Boeing represents a major advancement in updating its fighter fleet to meet the demands of contemporary warfare.
On December 30, the Air Force announced the arrival of the third and fourth airframes of the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with an additional six required before July to maintain the program schedule.
The intention to introduce these new fighters into the fleet underscores the pressing need to phase out the severely aged F-15Cs, some of which have been in service since 1979 and now average 38 years old, struggling with structural fatigue and obsolescence.
While the first F-15EX was delivered to Eglin in 2021, the recent arrivals marked a significant milestone for the program.
These aircraft, known as EX3 and EX4, are destined for rigorous developmental and operational testing, employing data from similar aircraft sold under Foreign Military Sales to expedite this phase.
The new jets boast a forward fuselage redesigned for the U.S. Air Force, cockpit pressure monitors, and a high-frequency antenna for satellite communications.
Lt. Col. Christopher Wee, the Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force commander, emphasized that the F-15EX “is operationally effective, suitable, and survivable,” and has met every challenge in the testing phase, hinting at the near readiness of the aircraft for warfighter deployment.
However, these advancements do not come without fiscal concerns. The Pentagon reported an escalated flyaway cost of $94 million per fighter, assuming a purchase of 104 aircraft—a stark increase from the initial estimate of $80 million per unit.
Despite the price tag, the F-15EX remains an appealing option for the Air Force, not least because of its significant payload capacity and versatility.
The twin-engine fighter can carry a wider range of weapons compared to its fifth-generation counterparts, including upcoming hypersonic missiles, and is capable of high-speed, long-range missions. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, head of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, highlighted the F-15EX’s ability to fill the gap in bombing capacity.
In summary, the F-15EX Eagle II, while a legacy platform at heart, is being repositioned as a modern fighter with advanced avionics and electronic warfare capabilities to meet the demands of contemporary air combat.
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Relevant articles:
– New F-15EX Fighters—Nos. 3 and 4—Arrive at Eglin for Testing, Air & Space Forces Magazine
– Why the F-15EX Is Such a Badass Plane, popularmechanics.com
– F-15EX is Now More Expensive Than Air Force’s F-35 Stealth Fighter, nationalinterest.org
– US Air Force would buy six more F-15EXs in 2025 under draft House bill, Defense News, Jun 15, 2023